Practitioner Education Program
Grinnell College has a state approved Practitioner Education Program. Through this program, students may be licensed (this is the official word Iowa uses instead of certified) to teach in Iowa, as secondary (5-12) teachers. Students wishing to teach in a state other than Iowa can use their Iowa license to apply for licensure in their state of choice. Most states will grant at least a temporary license on the strength of the Iowa license.
Ninth-Semester Program
Through this unique program that Grinnell College has developed, following graduation, students return to Grinnell for one additional semester to do their student teaching. Ninth semester students do not pay tuition during that semester. Instead, they sign a contract with the college obligating them to provide evidence of three years of full-time teaching during the five years following student teaching or to repay the tuition at the end of five-years.
Over 90% of our students obtain licensure through the ninth-semester program, but it is also possible to complete the program in eight semesters. This program enables students to complete a rigorous academic major, take full advantage of Grinnell's outsanding liberal arts offering and off-campus study opportunities, and obtain licensure.
Licensure Areas
Students may obtain licensure in secondary education (grades 5 - 12). Students desiring secondary licensure must have an endorsement in at least one of the following subject areas:
- Art
- English
- Foreign Languages (Chinese, French, German, Latin, Russian, Spanish)
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, General Science, Physics)
- Social Studies (American Government, American History, Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, World History)
See licensure overview and licensure requirements for detailed information.
Field Experience
Field experiences are an integral part of Grinnell's Education Program. All of the education courses involve practical experience in the public schools. Students help teachers, work with individual students and, in upper level courses, do some team teaching.
